Mr Magic

About Mr Magic

The company is placing an increased focus on efficiency and margins, with plans for a “lower-cost, more centralised operating model” with the profitability of Sun International’s underperforming assets in mind.

A formal consultation process relating to Section 189A of South Africa’s Labour Relations Act has commenced. THis governs large-scale retrenchments by companies with over 50 employees.

“In addition, we have started consultations in certain head office functions as we roll out productivity initiatives across the group,” Sun International said.

How to play Mr Magic

Despite his experience launching businesses, Yashin has been surprised by the enthusiastic reception from the wider industry. Perhaps even more revealing is the feedback from the people tasked with selling the product. According to Yashin, one Swipe Games business development manager with more than 20 years’ industry experience told him he had never found a new product easier to pitch.

The response extends to potential customers. Yashin says that of around 50 leads generated through events and the company’s network, only one decided against integration, leaving Swipe Games prioritising a queue of prospective partners.

“We have a term within our team called ‘hot pie’,” Yashin says. “It is our internal term for a really hot product that is easy to sell. It is something new for the market and the market is ready.”

What is Mr Magic?

Japan has drawn on Singapore’s IR development model, which embodies a balancing act between ambitious economic visions and restrictive conditions. But Andrew Klebanow, principal of Klebanow Consulting, believes Japan’s IR regulations swerved “too far into crafting regulations and policies”. Klebanow specialises in hotel-casino market feasibility studies, strategic planning and facility planning recommendations.

“As the RFP process played out, regulators introduced additional policies and regulations. As each regulation was introduced, developers adjusted their gaming forecasting models downward. Finally, those models reached a tipping point where potential revenues were insufficient to justify a project’s capital costs,” says Klebanow.

Japan’s attempt to reap the economic benefits of casino gaming while keeping gambling socially contained is comparable to Asia’s dominant casino hubs Singapore and Macau.